Range finding device for archery bows



Filed June 28, 1955 G G BROWNING RANGE FINDING DEVICE FOR ARCHERY BOWS April 16, 1957 45 60W r0207) WW United States Patent 2,788,701 RANGE FINDING DEVICEFOR ARCHERY BOW-S George G. Browning, Devon, Pa., assignor to The G & W

Manufacturing Company, Inc, Devon, Pa.,. in corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 28,1955, SerialNo. 518,617 Claims. (CL 88-'-2.3)

The present invention relates to a range finding device for archery bows, and more particularly to a device. for attachment to a bow which automatically determines the proper elevation for the bow when shooting at a selected target.

There are several range finding, devices on the market which operate to give a reading in feet or other lineal distances. In order to use such devices, the archer must provide a range calibration= on the bow itself to. assist him in elevating, the bow the proper distance to. compensate for the arcuate trajectory of the arrow as. it. is shot' from. the bow. Devices of this character are satisfactory when the target is at a constant range, and. once the range is determined, the elevation is constant. However, when hunting with bow and arrow, the target is usually a moving object, and it is impossible to first take a range reading, and then correlate that reading with a device on. the bow.

With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a device which is attached to the bow to assist, the archer in. determining. the proper elevation for the bow within. a wide range differential.

More. specifically, the invention contemplates a device which provides a reflected image for registry with a direct image when the bow is at the proper elevation for a given range.

The invention further provides av device Whichis simply manufiactured and which is fully elfectilve in operation and use.

These and other objects of the invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation thereof are more fully set forth: hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device made in accordance with the present invention applied to a bow andtshowingits operation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the assembled view of the assembled device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the sight mirrors of the device illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing the adjustment of the angularity of the sight mirrors;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and,

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detailed perspective views of elements of the device illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the range finding device, indicated generally at 10, is secured to a bow 13 as indicated at 11, slightly above the arrow plate on the grip 12 of the bow. In this position, the range mirrors 14 of the device intersect the normal sight line to the target T as indicated at S. To insure accurate shooting, a sight index mark is provided on the bow string at the point indicated at 15 in Fig. 1. A similar mark provided below the sight mark 15- at 16 on which the arrow should be necked. Thus, when shooting the arrow, it will span between the arrow plate. of the grip 12 and the. necking markv 16. When the arrow is shot, it will follow a trajectory orpath indicated atP in Fig. 1-. For short ranges, the path P is relatively straight, but for longer ranges, the trajectory is arcuate, and in order to compensate for differences. in range, it is necessary to elevate. the grip 12 toinsnre that the arrow will hit: its mark. Prior to the present invention, the elevation of the how was determined by the. archers skill and experience and. it was impossible for an inexperienced archer to make. accu rate shots: on". the first. attempt.

In accordance with the invention, the range finding device 10 automatically determines the proper elevation of the bow in accordance with the range of the target. To this end,, the. device is; provided with. a series of sight mirrors 14 arranged in spaced intervals on a depending arm. 20' of the; range finding device It). As shown in Fig. 9, each sight mirror is provided with an index mark 21 which. is designed to be adjusted into alignment with the line ofsight S. The mirror. 14 also reflects a re fiected image of the target I by way of an image mirror 22, the reflected image path. being indicated in broken lines at R in Fig. 1. As shown. in Fig. 2, registering the index 21a with the line of sight to the target provides. a long range, whereas registering the index 21c with the line of sight. provides a short range. The reflected image path is indicated at. R in Fig. 2. It will be. noted that in. order toregister the index 21a with the line ofsight to the target, thev bow 13 must. be elevated. This elevation provides-an arcuate trajectory, for example as indicated at P in Fig. 1. For shorter ranges, the index121e is, registered with the target which effects a loweringof the bow, and acorrespondingly straighter trajectory for the arrow. It is clear that each of the indexes- 21a 21c will be adjusted to provide for increments in range, for example, ten: yards from an initial range of fifty yards at index 21a down to ten yards at the index 21c.-

To provide for differences in archery tackle and in individual shooting characteristics, the device 10 is manufactu-red with various sighting-in adjustments. Once the adjustments are made, however, the range finding device is. set untilthe device is shifted to different tackle or employed. for a different individual. As shown in Fig. 2, the range finding. device comprises an upright mem. ber- 25 mounting. atone end. the leg 20 which mounts the sight mirrors 14. At the opposite end of the upright 25. an: arm 26-is adjustably mounted which in turn mounts the image mirror 22. The upright 25 is adjustably mounted on a leg 27 which in turn is adjustable on a bracket 28. The bracket 28 is adapted to be secured to the bow 13 as indicated at 11. In the present instance, the securing means comprises a flexible strap 29 which is locked around the bow as indicated at 30.

When assembling the range finding device 10 to the bow, the bracket 28 is secured to the bow at a predetermined level above the arrow plate on the grip 12. The bow is then strung, and the leg 27 is adjusted laterally to insure that the how, when it is flexed, does not interfere with the arm 26 mounting the image mirror 22. This is accomplished by the bolts 33 and the adjusting slots 34 in the leg 27 (see Fig. 8). With the upright adjusted laterally, it is then pivoted on the bolt 35 mounting it on the leg 27 until the free edge of the arm 26 mounting the mirror 22, is in alignment with the bow 10 when it is in the strung but unfiexed position. The set screw 36 is then tightened to lock the upright 25 in adjusted position.

The leg 20 is then pivotally adjusted on the upright to reflect the central portion of the image mirror 22 in the center sight mirror 14 when it is parallel to the upper surface of the leg 20. As pointed out below, this setting is not proper in the drawing.

With the upright and leg adjusted to proper position, the mirrors 14 and 22 are adjusted to provide proper elevation of the bow at the various ranges employing the indexes 21a 21a. The first step is to sight a target at a close range, preferably about twelve yards, using the index Zle and the rear sight on the string at 15. Severals arrows are shot with the arrows spanning between the nocking mark 16 and the arrow plate as set forth above, and the archers position relative to the target is adjusted to provide the proper elevation of the arrows when shot at the target. The image mirror 22 is then adjusted angularly by pivoting the arm 26 on the pivot 38 until the target is reflected into the mirror 14 having the index 21c, as indicated at R in Fig. 2. This is a coarse adjustment. The arm 26 is then locked in position by a locking means indicated at 39. The fine adjustment is then made by pivoting the mirror 14 on its supporting pivot 41.

To accomplish fine adjustment of the mirror 14 on the pivot 41, a key 42 is provided. For the purpose of simple packaging of the device, the key 42 is secured to the upright, for example by a thumb bolt 43 as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Once the adjustments are made, the key 42 may be stored with the unused archery equipment. As shown in Fig. 5, the key is dimensioned to be inserted in adjusting apertures 44, 44 in the arm 20. Turning the key in the aperture 44 engages it against the depending portion of the mirror 14 and eflects minute pivotal adjustment of the mirror on the pivot 41. With the direct image of the target in registry with index 21s, the sight mirror is then adjusted angularly until the reflected image of the target is in registry with the index 21a.

The remaining indexes 21d, 21c, 21b, and 21a are then sighted on targets at distances which provide the proper arrow flight height, and the associated mirrors are adjusted in the same manner, using only the fine adjustment. It has been found that elevation of the how a distance corresponding to the intervals between adjacent indices increases the range in increments of approximately ten yards. The exact ranges will depend on the shooting characteristics of the archer and of the archery tackle. When the device is properly adjusted, the central sight mirror having the index 210 is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the leg 20, the mirrors having the indices 21d and 21a are slightly counterclockwise from the parallel position, and the mirrors having the iudices 21a and 211) are slightly clockwise from the parallel position.

Thus, it is seen that the present invention provides a device which operates to correlate the elevation of the bow with the range of the target, thereby eliminating the necessity for firing several shots at the target to determine the proper elevation of the bow.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure, but

changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

-I claim:

1. A target ranging sight for archery bows comprising a leg adapted to be mounted on the how, a series of sight mirrors mounted on said leg at spaced intervals transversely of the line of sight to the target, index means on each of said sight mirrors for selective registry in said line of sight, and an image mirror mounted in spaced relation to said sight mirrors and at an angle to reflect an image of the target in said sight mirrors, each of said sight mirrors being angularly inclined at a diiferent angle to said leg to reflect in said line of sight said reflected image from the image mirror at a given range of the target from the archery how, the intervals between adjacent sight mirrors corresponding to the elevation of the bow necessary to compensate for the differences between the given ranges of the adjacent sight mirrors.

2. A target ranging sight for archery bows comprising an upright adapted to be mounted on the bow adjacent the arrow plate of the bow and diverging upwardly therefrom, an arm mounted at the upper extremity of said upright projecting angularly in a direction toward said how, an image mirror mounted on the undersurface of said arm, a leg mounted at the lower extremity of said upright depending angularly therefrom in the direction opposite to said arm, and a series of sight mirrors mounted along the upper surface of said leg, each mirror being inclined at a different angle to said leg.

3. A sight according to claim 2 including means to adjust the angle of divergence of said upright to accommodate bows having different physical characteristics.

4. A sight according to claim 2 wherein said arm is pivotally mounted on said upright and including means to lock said arm in a given angular position.

5. A sight according to claim 2 wherein each sight mirror is mounted for pivotal movement on said leg about an axis normal to the plane in which the bow is flexed, and including means to immobilize said sight mir rors.

Nyvall May 14, 1935 Whitson Nov. 1, 1949 

